Ronald Reagan carried California R+16.8.

Jimmy Carter (D) vs Ronald Reagan (R) in California, 1980. The state ran 7.0 points more Republican than the nation (R+9.7 nationally). A US Senate contest shared the 1980 ballot here.

Nominees: Jimmy Carter (D) · Ronald Reagan (R)

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California result

8,585,801 votes counted

Carter (D)

3,083,641

35.9%

Reagan (R)

4,524,858

52.7%

All others

977,302

11.4%

Margin

R+16.8

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1980 presidential election

California, 1980

ReaganR+16.8

How it voted

Share of the 1980 vote

Ronald Reagan ✓Republican	52.7%	4,524,858
Jimmy CarterDemocratic	35.9%	3,083,641
John B. AndersonIndependent	11.4%	977,302

D+60

R+60

58 counties, each filled by 1980 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.

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California's presidential margins

1876–2024, the 1980 contest in context

California's presidential margins

Year	Margin (D minus R)
1876	−1.8%
1880	+0.1%
1884	−6.7%
1888	−2.8%
1892	+1.2%
1896	−0.6%
1900	−13.1%
1904	−34.9%
1908	−22.5%
1912	+41.8%
1916	+0.4%
1920	−41.9%
1924	−49.0%
1928	−30.5%
1932	+21.0%
1936	+35.3%
1940	+16.1%
1944	+13.5%
1948	+0.4%
1952	−13.6%
1956	−11.1%
1960	−0.5%
1964	+18.3%
1968	−3.1%
1972	−13.5%
1976	−1.8%
1980	−16.8%
1984	−16.2%
1988	−3.6%
1992	+13.4%
1996	+12.9%
2000	+11.8%
2004	+9.9%
2008	+24.0%
2012	+23.1%
2016	+30.0%
2020	+29.1%
2024	+20.1%

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County results — 1980

58 counties; every row links to the county's full page.

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County	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
Alameda County	D	+10.3%	201,720	158,531	417,617
Alpine County	R	−26.2%	133	254	461
Amador County	R	−22.9%	3,191	5,401	9,670
Butte County	R	−28.3%	19,520	38,188	66,012
Calaveras County	R	−29.0%	3,076	6,054	10,275
Colusa County	R	−25.9%	1,605	2,897	4,995
Contra Costa County	R	−12.8%	107,398	144,112	287,545
Del Norte County	R	−24.0%	2,338	4,016	6,987
El Dorado County	R	−28.7%	10,765	21,238	36,449
Fresno County	R	−10.7%	65,254	82,515	161,386
Glenn County	R	−38.0%	2,227	5,386	8,312
Humboldt County	R	−14.2%	17,113	24,047	48,692
Imperial County	R	−19.0%	7,961	12,068	21,579
Inyo County	R	−38.9%	2,080	5,201	8,027
Kern County	R	−26.0%	41,097	72,842	122,121
Kings County	R	−17.0%	7,299	10,531	19,021
Lake County	R	−17.7%	5,978	8,934	16,654
Lassen County	R	−18.6%	2,941	4,464	8,198
Los Angeles County	R	−10.0%	979,830	1,224,533	2,440,185
Madera County	R	−14.2%	7,783	10,599	19,780
Marin County	R	−9.6%	39,231	49,678	108,507
Mariposa County	R	−21.3%	1,889	3,082	5,608
Mendocino County	R	−5.8%	10,784	12,432	28,224
Merced County	R	−5.8%	15,886	18,043	36,996
Modoc County	R	−38.3%	1,046	2,579	4,000
Mono County	R	−37.0%	865	2,132	3,421
Monterey County	R	−21.2%	29,086	47,452	86,794
Napa County	R	−19.8%	14,898	23,632	44,035
Nevada County	R	−28.9%	7,605	15,207	26,261
Orange County	R	−45.3%	176,704	529,797	780,212
Placer County	R	−21.1%	17,311	28,179	51,440
Plumas County	R	−15.6%	2,911	4,182	8,161
Riverside County	R	−28.4%	76,650	145,642	243,278
Sacramento County	R	−7.4%	130,031	153,721	322,120
San Benito County	R	−17.2%	2,749	4,054	7,602
San Bernardino County	R	−28.0%	91,790	172,957	289,812
San Diego County	R	−33.5%	195,410	435,910	716,866
San Francisco County	D	+20.6%	133,184	80,967	254,028
San Joaquin County	R	−19.8%	41,551	64,718	116,863
San Luis Obispo County	R	−26.1%	20,508	38,631	69,527
San Mateo County	R	−12.2%	87,335	116,491	238,637
Santa Barbara County	R	−22.5%	40,650	69,629	128,995
Santa Clara County	R	−13.0%	166,995	229,048	477,003
Santa Cruz County	R	−5.8%	32,346	37,347	85,804
Shasta County	R	−25.7%	15,364	27,547	47,418
Sierra County	R	−11.9%	651	855	1,718
Siskiyou County	R	−21.9%	5,664	9,331	16,738
Solano County	R	−12.4%	30,952	40,919	80,676
Sonoma County	R	−12.0%	45,596	60,722	125,985
Stanislaus County	R	−9.4%	33,683	41,595	84,186
Sutter County	R	−36.0%	5,103	11,778	18,557
Tehama County	R	−27.9%	4,832	9,140	15,457
Trinity County	R	−23.7%	1,734	3,048	5,546
Tulare County	R	−22.8%	25,155	41,317	70,846
Tuolumne County	R	−20.9%	5,449	8,810	16,063
Ventura County	R	−30.7%	56,311	114,930	190,650
Yolo County	D	+3.9%	21,527	19,603	49,690
Yuba County	R	−21.6%	4,896	7,942	14,111